The last 18 months have been, to be frank, a bit of a head-mash. My degree course finished with a presentation of my final project on 1st September 2025, which resulted in passing my degree – a 2:1 BSc in Digital and Technology Solutions (Software Engineering). October was also the culmination of a large 4 year project to replace the central Pathology system within the two hospital trusts I support. Such bad timing.

I’m now out of the other side of the go-lives now, with the degree in the bag, but the grey hairs are certainly visible!

Reflecting over the time taken to complete the entire course, it encompassed amongst other things, a global pandemic. These days its not always remembered for the sheer panic and terror felt by many of something invisible that could kill, the thousands of lives lost, the inability to see loved ones either suffering or in good health, but for clapping outside front doors, time spend furloughed (for those lucky ones who had that!) and the chaos of home schooling while working full time. Maybe it’s for the best we try and forget about it as much as possible.

Pandemic Madness

The pandemic for me forms memories that are, possibly for the better, mostly ones suppressed to the subconscious. Being within the NHS, in particular Pathology, the relentless work that was undertaken by brave Biomedical Scientists and Medical Laboratory Assistants was never seen or known about that much. There was no chance of the furlough scheme for NHS workers. We ventured out in what felt like an odd and strangely unfamiliar world; empty towns, quiet roads with key worker signs in our car windows. Making our way to hospitals filled with ill patients, the workload was unrelenting. Doctors and Nurses tackling a faceless killer, putting themselves at risk to hold the hands of those suffering, sometimes with little they could realistically do.

Net kit, new inferfaces

Whilst the pandemic was still in the early stages, a myriad of differing testing platforms were sent to laboratories, often arriving with us having little prior knowledge of their genuine quality, speed or ability to withstand the workload. Often devices were rushed from prototyping stages from companies unknown, but all with the endeavour to do ‘their bit’.

Daily testing for our two laboratories often amounted to thousands of results that, somehow, had to find their way electronically to a national reporting system owned by Public Health England (now NHS England). Yet with the multiple different, often standalone new devices, the headache of how to interface them all, and a pace, was a real problem.

The volume of testing meant manual transcription of results was a pointless task to even attempt, so new interfaces to decipher proprietary messaging standards had to be coded. Existing and well established platforms had to be adapted to perform covid testing alongside their original repertoire – their existing interfaces to be partly rewritten, tested, validated etc…

All of this was being handled alongside the beginnings of an university degree. A positive approach from the OU was paired with an unfortunate assumption that while the pandemic had closed shops, business, industry, hospitality and airports – everyone suddenly had an abundance of free time to begin their studies. Not so for anyone within the healthcare sector. It felt like we were the exception to the global shutdown, with work significantly increasing, constant 12 hour days and stress levels beyond reconning.

Aside from the pandemic, our two laboratories have also taken on the whole migration of the central computer system. Often shortened to LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) or LIS (Laboratory Information System), the replacement of such a central system within Pathology – arguably one of the ‘engine room departments’ of any hospital – is often described as a ‘once in a career’ experience. Yet I’ve now had experienced it three times – both separate Trusts more recently and a historical move of LIMS system for another one of them back in 2016 when I first joined the organisation. Have I earned my a note to excuse me from next time yet?